Tasmania Kid (BW)
- Tasmania Kid is a Maximal from the Beast Wars II portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
There's the young, there's the restless, and then there's Tasmania Kid (タスマニアキッド Tasumania Kiddo), who has both of those qualities to spare. A fairly green recruit, Kid's enthusiasm to prove himself and bask in the spotlight is as unbridled as it is dangerously stupid. Kid is desperate to see himself recognized and honored as one of the greatest Maximal warriors of all time, but he wants that recognition now and preferably without all that training, strategy and diplomacy stuff.
Mischievous, reckless, insubordinate and disrespectful, his fool-hardy search for a "big break" on the battlefield often lands him in hot water... both with the Predacons and the Maximals. Despite his shortcomings, Kid's ambition and enthusiasm are seen by his superiors as qualities to be molded and directed rather than fully discouraged. And with each catastrophic mistake, he learns another valuable lesson about what it means to be a soldier.
Tasmania Kid's closest friend is the unmotivated slacker Diver, whom he often leads astray into his hair-brained schemes. Kid also has a kindred spirit in Scissor Boy, who shares in many of his youthful interests.
Fiction
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Beast Wars II cartoon
- Voice actor: Katashi Ishizuka (Japanese)
Tasmania Kid, simply known as Kid at the time, was under the command of Lio Convoy (who similarly was just named "Convoy") on a Maximal Space Station. When Convoy went missing, Kid was unwilling to go on missions without him, instead spending his time losing at chess against Diver. Eventually Bighorn took charge of the team and they went to investigate a suspicious energy flare on the planet Gaea. Upon arrival, their ship was shot down by Galvatron's Predacons, so Kid took an escape pod down to the planet's surface.
Gaea's atmosphere proved hazardous to Transformers, so Kid was forced to scan himself an beast mode in order to survive. He considered either a leopard or a bird, and soon settled on a nearby eagle. However, a Tasmanian Devil jumped in his face as he activated his scanners, and Kid accidentally scanned its DNA and became Tasmania Kid. He wasn't very happy with this turn of events, since, well, Tasmanian Devils just aren't cool. Tasmania Kid soon met up with Diver, Scuba, Apache and Bighorn, and together they investigated a mysterious black fog that had enshrouded the area.
The fog turned out to be emanating from the Predacons' spaceship, the Galvaburg II, but before they could do anything about it, Tasmania Kid and the others were attacked and pinned down by the Predacons. They were rescued by the emergence of a large white lion, and heavily damaged the Galvaburg II before following the lion into the wilderness. The New Forces Arrive!
The Maximals were led back to their crashed spaceship, where they took up headquarters. The lion then revealed itself to be Lio Convoy, whose earlier disappearance was due to crashing on Gaea. Reunited with their leader, the Maximals prepared to stop the Predacons' plot to drain the planet of energy. They were quickly sent out to stop the Autorollers from destroying a jungle, and Tasmania Kid contributed by extinguishing a fire by peeing on it. White Lion, Run!
While picking flowers in a meadow, Tasmania Kid was surprised to learn Bighorn was deeply enraged by the very sight of a red flower. Kid found it funny following Bighorn around the rest of the day as he tried to pick fight with various Predacons, only to be turned down each time because they weren't interested in fighting him. As funny as the day was, when the unsuspecting Diver thought to give Bighorn a nice red flower as a gift after he had calmed down, Tasmania Kid quickly tried to wave the flower away before it started another mess. Bighorn's Rage
On a routine patrol, Tasmania Kid located the Autorollers building a fortress base near a lake. Eager to take the glory for himself, Kid radioed the base and told the Maximals to expect great things from him in the future, but wouldn't elaborate. Getting an idea from his Tasmanian namesake, Kid dug a series of tunnels around the base and rigged them with explosive booby traps. When he was set, Tasmania Kid set off his traps, devastating the Autorollers' work.
His victory was short-lived, though, as an electrified cage sprung up around him. The lake base had been a trap set by Starscream to lure in unsuspecting Maximals. Tasmania Kid was held hostage to bring the other Maximals running to the real, underwater base. Kid "escaped" into the ventilation shafts, only to discover those were rigged with death traps as well, keeping him off-balance. Eventually, Diver, Scuba, and his Tasmanian devil friend entered the base and helped free Kid from the Predacons' traps. Tasmania Kid apologized for the trouble he had caused his fellow Maximals, and thanked the furry friend who helped lead the Maximals to his rescue. The Lake Trap
The Maximals were hard pressed to stop Megastorm's latest ploy to capture the planet's energy, dispatching an overwhelming quantity of autonomous robot drones to build fortresses for the Predacons. This became the least of their problems, however, when Galvatron emerged for the first time on Gaea. His dragon and drill tank modes proved virtually unstoppable, and Tasmania Kid and the Maximals were barely able to slow him down. In the end, it was a sneak attack by Megastorm that upset his brother's footing and sent him tumbling into an open volcano, leaving the Maximals confused over who their secret ally was.Galvatron Revived
Next, Tasmania Kid and the Maximals moved on to the Southern Continent to investigate a new string of energy readings. A mysterious signal from the ancient ruins prompted an investigation by Lio Convoy, and all the Maximals volunteered to go. Apache arranged for the team to draw straws but, after he won and left with Lio Convoy, Kid examined the straws and found Apache had cheated. Still, he cried real tears when the Maximals thought Apache had died in an explosion at the ruins, and cried even harder when he learned the old nag was still alive after all. Mystery of the Ancient Ruins
With the Insectrons as a new potential threat, Lio Convoy cautioned the Maximals not to make enemies of the Insectrons unnecessarily. As a result, he sent out teams of two to locate the Insectrons, and ordered his men not to fire on them, but engage in dialogue. Kid and Lio Convoy were nearby when Bighorn and Apache were attacked by the Insectrons Bigmos and Tonbot, who had been fed false information on the Maximals by Starscream. They tried to stop the fighting when they arrived, but Starscream and BB opened fire on both parties to avoid any peaceful dialogue. The Maximals warned the Insectrons of the incoming missiles, and threw their own bodies on top of their opponents' delicate insect modes for protection. Confused by the act of self-sacrifice, Bigmos and Tonbot departed without further conflict. The Insect Corps Arrive
Lio Convoy maintained that the Insectrons were potential allies, not enemies, and ordered the Maximals to try and make peaceful contact with them again. Tasmania Kid joined Bighorn and Diver on patrol, when Starscream and BB used missiles to lure them into a conflict with another nest of Insectrons. Once Bighorn heedlessly launched into the fray, Kid and Diver had no choice but to follow. Tasmania Kid fought against Scissor Boy, the youngest of the Insectrons. Despite the supposedly serious combat, Boy and Kid remained good-natured during the back-and-forth, and Tasmania Kid jokingly tried to beat Scissor Boy with a rock because "Rock beats Scissors!" Once the matches between Bighorn and Powerhug and Diver and Drill Nuts stopped on their own, Tasmania Kid and Scissor Boy shrugged and stopped fighting as well. The Predacons interrupted the downtime, driving the Insectrons away, but the encounter only reinforced Lio Convoy's position that the Insectrons weren't all that bad after all. Friend or Foe? The Insect Robos
Hoping to mend fences, build bridges, and a third metaphor, Tasmania Kid brought a sack of oil into Insectron territory for a peaceful get-together. The ever-territorial Mantis had no interest in oil, but Scissor Boy stopped Mantis from flaying Kid alive by saying he was the weakest and least-threatening of the Predacons. Once he got over his indignation, Tasmania Kid realized the Insectrons called him a Predacon, too, and reviewed the false data Starscream gave the Insectrons. After explaining that HIS team were the Heroic Maximals and Starscream was an Evil Predacon, Scissor Boy and Mantis mentioned maybe the other Insectrons shouldn't have gone to a party Starscream was throwing them. Kid, Boy, and Mantis met up with the other Maximals and eventually managed to not only sober up the Insectrons drunk on Starscream's "special" oil, but also joined forces against the return of Galvatron. With that, the Maximals and Insectrons finally made peace. The Strongest Tag Team? Kid was surprised when the Insectrons refused to aid the Maximals in combat against the Autorollers. After Bigmos cleared up the debt to Autostinger that was tying his hands, Tasmania Kid witnessed the duel between the two. Autorollers Roll Out!
One day, Tasmania Kid was hopping merrily through the forest, ready to bring a pretty bouquet of flowers to his good friends, the Insectrons. But his day was no longer a happy one when Scissor Boy charged him and knocked Kid down a cliff. It seemed poor Scissor Boy had gotten himself captured by the Autorollers, and needed Tasmania Kid to pretend to lose in combat to him, or else the Autorollers would blow them both up with missiles! Tasmania Kid reluctantly surrendered, although he balked when he heard Scissor Boy called him the weakest of the Maximals. Kid and Boy tried to lure the Autorollers into a trap in Maximal territory, but Scissor Boy's fellow Insectrons tried to rescue them before the trap was sprung, leaving all combatants at the feet of Megastorm and the Galvaburg II. Fortunately, the Maximals and Insectrons rallied their forces and drove off Megastorm and the Autorollers. Danger! Scissor Boy
Tasmania Kid and the Maximals later joined forces with the Autorollers when Galvatron went on a rampage while engorged on Angolmois energy. The two groups overfed Galvatron with Angolmois until his bloated form nearly exploded from within, rendering him harmless. Galvatron Rampages
When the Predacons launched a massive offensive on the Southern Continent, Tasmania Kid and the Maximals teamed up with the Insectrons to foil their plans once again. Predacon General Offensive!
Bighorn, Diver, and Tasmania Kid located a crashed spaceship on Gaea's Eastern continent, and soon encountered the Jointron brothers and their combination form, Tripledacus. Maximals by name, the Jointrons nevertheless proved to be irresponsible and short-sighted, acting outside Lio Convoy's authority and without regard for their fellow Maximals. Tasmania Kid and the others were concerned the Jointrons would make favorable reports to Maximal HQ that highlighted their "accomplishments" to the detriment of the crew of the Yukikaze. The Combined Giant, Tripledacus Bighorn and Kid snubbed the Jointrons on patrol to avoid getting caught up in their antics, only to return later and find the Jointrons had overtaken the Maximal base and then lost it to Predacon raiders, leaving Diver and Apache trapped inside. They helped Lio Convoy retake the base, but the Jointrons were unfazed by their actions, celebrating the minor victory of temporarily capturing Dirge and Thrust (only to lose them again). The Festive Jointrons
The Maximal Brainwashing Operation
Tasmania Kid and Diver were out on a scouting mission (much to Diver's chagrin, as he wanted to relax) when Apache, popping out of the bushes, quietly called them over. The confused pair followed, only to find Apache to be an illusion, baiting them into a net laid out by BB. BB then took the two Maximals back to Starscream, who told them he would release them after they ran an "errand" for him.
When the duo didn't report back, the Maximals left in search of the missing Diver and Tasmania Kid, eventually finding them collapsed at the edge of a valley. However, it was all part of Starscream's trap. Diver and Tasmania Kid, now brainwashed into thinking they were Predacons, sprang into action and attacked the Maximals. Galvatron soon entered the scene and stacked the odds tremendously against the Maximals.
As the fight raged on, Megastorm got to a vantage point and prepared to fire his cannon at both Lio Convoy and Galvatron, killing two birds with one stone. Scuba intervened by creating a geyser beneath him from an underground river, throwing Megastorm's aim off. The blast knocked Tasmania Kid and Diver back to their senses, though they were angry at the (rightfully) confused Apache, whom they blamed for ambushing them. The Maximal Brainwashing Operation
Beast Wars Neo cartoon
After the defeat of Unicron, Tasmania Kid returned to Cybertron. There, he got caught up in a tussle between Big Convoy and Magmatron. Graduation Ceremony!!
Bom Bom manga continuity
Beast Wars II manga
Demolish the Superdreadnought Tank! Infiltrate the Mystery Island! Free the Captured Matrix! Realize the Forbidden Love! Make a Surprise Attack on the Super Weapon Base! Recover the Bonds Lost! All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet! Win the Battle of Light and Darkness! The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!! At another time, When Lio Convoy wrecked Apache's room in a drunken rampage, Apache scolded Kid, who decided to run away. Kid was attacked and captured by the Cyborg Beasts, who planned to make him one of them. This plan failed when Apache singlehandedly annihilated the Predacon forces Rambo-style.[citation needed]
Beast Wars Neo manga
Tasmania Kid was worshiped as a god on the planet of rabbit-formers from which Stampy hailed. A Battle Fought Alone
IDW Beast Wars comics
Tasmania Kid was the class clown at Maximal Military Academy, often performing pranks on classmates and instructors. Despite this, Lio Convoy saw potential in Tasmania Kid and took him into his unit to Gaea, where they battled Galvatron. Beast Wars Sourcebook #4
Later, Tasmania Kid was one of Big Convoy's subordinates on Cybertron. He helped investigate the strange rash of Angolmois-related murders. The Ascending #2
Along with Survive and Cohrada, he joined Big Convoy in investigating Shokaract's tower. Unfortunately, Shokaract emerged from within and grabbed Tasmania Kid in his claws. Kid was torn in two pieces and killed. Big Convoy and the others were summarily defeated as well.
Fortunately, the Earthbound Maximal and Predacon teams took the Pack's transwarp cruiser and returned to the point in the time stream that Shokaract emerged from his tower. Unfortunately, it was still too late to save Tasmania Kid, who was torn in two pieces again just before Big Convoy and Shokaract noticed the newly arrived transwarp cruiser.
Sheesh. The Ascending #3
Beast Wars: Uprising
Tasmania Kid was on the Maximal team in a fateful match of the Games, which was interrupted by Lio Convoy's assassination of Supersonic and call for an uprising against the Builders. Broken Windshields
Transformers Legends comic
Tasmania Kid was present at the announcement of Tera-Kura Co.'s new product, the ninja maid robot Nightbird Shadow, and like everyone else he was taken by how cute and clumsy she was. Bonus Edition Vol. 15 He was later part of a crowd trying to claim Armada Megatron's discarded Unicron of Light toy for themselves, Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 18 and witnessed Deadlock's visit to an internet cafe. Bonus Edition Vol. EX
Toys
Beast Wars
- Tasmania Kid (Basic, 1998)
- Japanese ID number: C-14
- Accessories: Arm-mounted cannon
- Tasmania Kid's only toy is virtually identical to the Hasbro Beast Wars toy Snarl, transforming into an (alleged) Tasmanian devil. Holding the toy by its tail in beast mode and pulling the trigger makes his body leap forward in a spring-loaded lunging attack. In robot mode, the tail becomes an arm-mounted (non-firing) blaster cannon.
- The same mold is used by Robotmasters Bound Rogue, whose coloration bears a striking resemblance to the contest-prize version of Tasmania Kid.
- Tasmania Kid vs. Dirge (Vs. pack, 1997)
- Japanese ID number: VS-14
- Tasmania Kid was also available in a multi-pack with the Predacon Dirge.
- Tasmania Kid (Contest prize, 1997)
- A blue and yellow version of Tasmania Kid was awarded as a special prize along with many other oddly-colored Beast Wars II Maximals in a magazine contest in Japan. This was the design contest that resulted in the creation of Star Upper.
Merchandise
- Beast Collection Special 10 (Super Deformed Set, 1998)
- A non-transforming, translucent blue figurine rendition of Tasmania Kid came in a set with nine other Beast Wars II characters.
Notes
Tasmania Kid's name (タスマニアキッド) can also be interpreted as Tasmanian Kid. One instance of this, is the Beast Wars II manga, where his profile name is written as Tasmanian-Kid. However, some of the earlier Beast Wars II Databooks write his name as Tasmania Kid. Neither is right or wrong, as it all boils down to how one interprets it.
